Electric flat-iron.



F E. SHAILOR.

ELECTRIC FLAT IRON.

APPLICATION FILED APR.19, 191s.

Patented July 7, 1914.

w [m m .i w a t fi n e B v H m F UH b III!) To all whom it may concern:

UnrrEn STATES PATENT OFFI E.

] FRANK E. SHAILOR, or PITTSQFIIYELDT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR r GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATIGN or NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC FLAT-IRON.

Be it known that I, FRANK E. SHAILOR, a

.citizen of thev United States, residing at Pittsfield, county of Berkshire, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Flati Irons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric fiat-irons and more particularly to means for con: trolling the supply of electric energy. thereto. It is common to provide the flat-iron merely with a detachable connection plug for this purpose. A plug of this kind has the advantage vthat it. is simple and will stand very rough usage. However it is inconvenient to detach the plug from the iron every time that it is desired to cut ofi' the current and to replace it when it is desired to reestablish thetsupply. Various switch devices attached to the plug have been dei vised but to these the common objection is applicable that they are very easily putout of order if not. handled very carefully and also by the repeated operation thereof. The object of my invention is to provide a rugged and efiicient switch for a flat-iron which may be quickly and conveniently operated and so will not beopen to the above stated objections.

According to my invention a switching member is mounted on the flat-iron adjacent to terminals connected to the electric heating unit. The said switching member carries contacts and is mounted. to swing around a pivot and so: to bring the said contacts into or out of engagement with the aforesaid terminal connections of'the heating unit}. I prefer that the switching mem- 3 it shall-be so mounted that it may be entirely removed from the flat-iron whenever her shallbe in the'form'of a plug and that desired. v q

Although notjessential-to' my invention I prefer-that the switch plug shall be vertically pivoted'and mounted close to the handleof the flat-iron' asthis renders it very convenient to manipulate. 'Inorde'r that the construction may be as compact as possible I prefer to attach to the rear of the fiat-iron a vertically disposed stand in such position thatthe fiat-iron when tipped on end will be supported by said stand clearof the table or board and to mount-the. switch plug upon the upper attaching support of said stand.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed April 19, 1913. Serial No. 762,217.

Patented July '7, 19 14..

In order that the plug may not become accidentally detached I provide 'means whereby such detachment is prevented eX- cept 1n certain positions of the said plug. -Var1ous other features and advantages of my invention will appear from the detailed description which follows. I My invention will be 'more clearly understood by referring to the accompanying drawing in which Figure l is a perspective view .of a fiat iron equipped with my invention and sliowing t-he switch plug detached from the iron;

Fig. 2' is a partial vertical section through the flat-iron with the switch plug in its closed circuit position and Fig. 3 is a top.

plan view of the switch plug and stand with the ad'acent portions of the flat-iron when the switch is in open circuit position.

As shown in the drawing the flat-iron has the body portion 10 comprisingthe base 11 between which and the clamping plate 12 is held the electric resistance heating unit 13 which may be such as that disclosed in Parkhu'rst Patent No. 953,393. The leads .14: and 15 from the said unit are carried up through an aperture in the top casing 16 of the iron and attached by screws 17 to the conductor strips 18 and 19 respectively. The said strips are supported in position between the handle support 20 from which they are insulated by a sheet of mica 21 and theinsulation block 22 of porcelain 0r similar material. A metal casing 23 surrounds the said parts and is held with them in place by the screw24. Terminals 25 and 26 are in electrical contact with the said strips and extend at right angles thereto through slots in the block 22; The portion of the said block adjacent to said terminals is uncovered. Screws 27 serve to hold thisportion of the block and terminals rigidly in place against the handle support 20..

A stand having the normally vertically extending base 28- and horizontally extending plates 29 and 30-is attached to the body portion of the flat iron by screws 31 and to the handle support by screw 32 extending through the vertical channel member 33; The plate 30 has a vertical tending upwardly therefrom.

The switch plug'35 consists of an insulatingblock of porcelain or similar material which isapertured to receive the spring ter- -minal sockets 36 attached to plates 37' and pivot pin 34 ex electrically connected through terminal screws 38 to the conductors 39. The said conductors extend to an external circuit through an aperture in the side of the block with which registers the sleeve 40 which may be integral with the metal casing 41 of side of the said plate by screw 45. The hot-- 46 is entirely without the slot 48.

"tom of the casing 41 has lugs 46 and'47 projecting therefrom. These are adapted to enter slots 48 and 49 respectively in t e block 22v and channel 33 when the switch plug is in closed circuit position.

The handle of the iron is represented by 'the reference numeral 50.

apparent that the switch plug may be readily placed in position over the pivot pin 34 by holding it in such position that the lug The plug may then be turned into closed circuit position in which the sockets 36. engage the termina1-pins'25 and 26. If it is desired to open the circuit without detaching the plug, the latter -may be swung to the position shown in Fig. 3 by merely sliding the hand rearwardly against the projecting sleeve 40. In this and the closed circuit. position the engagement of la 46 with slot 48 effectively prevents the acci ental removal of the plug. At any time the fiat-iron maybe tilted on end so as to be supported by the stand 28 If it is desired to remove theswitch plug, this may be done very easily by turning it until lug 46 clears raising it vertically.

The above described structure furnishes a very compact and convenient means for op-' erating the electrical connections of a fiatiron and one which should not easily be put out of order. Various modifications thereof will readily occur to those skilled in the art 'and are to be considered as coming within the scope of my invention as set forth in the following claims."

, WhatI claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination with an electrically heated flat-iron having fixed terminal contacts, of a vertically pivoted switch plug mounted upon said iron and carrying contacts adapted to engage said terminal contacts.

2. The combination with an electrically heated flat-iron having fixed terminal contacts, of a vertically pivoted removable switch plug supported by said iron and carr ing contacts adapted to engage said -ter-' minal contacts.

- $1011. From the foregoing description it will be the slot 48 and 'then r 3. The combination of an electrically heated fiat-iron having contact terminals at the rear thereof and switch plug freely pivoted adjacent said tern'iinals and carrying contactsarranged to engage said terminals, whereby the switch plug is adapted to be manually operated to bring the contacts of -the switch plug into or out of engagement'with said terminals.

4. The combination of an electrically heated flat-iron having contactterminals mounted at the rear thereof and a switch plug pivotally supported adjacent said terminals and freely removable from the pivot in a given posit-ion with reference to the terminals and adapted in its movement to bring the contactsearried thereby into and out of engagement with the terminals, and means for preventing the removal of said switch from the pivot in closed circuit posi- 5. The combination with an electrically heated flat-iron having contact terminals located at the rear of said flat-iron, a, handle for said flat-iron and sup orts therefor, a supporting member attaciied to the rear handle support and a switching member pivotall supported thereby, said switching mem er carrying contacts adapted to engage wlth said terminal in one position of the said switching member.

6. The combination with an electrically heated flat-iron having contact terminals located at the rear of said flat-iron, a handle forsaid flat-iron havin supports, a supsupport and a switching member pivotally and removably supported thereby, said switching member carrying contacts adapted to enga e the said terminals in one position of the said switching member, and

member in certain positions of the same.

7. The combination with an electrically heated fiat-iron having contact terminals mounted at the rear of said flat-iron, a handle for said flat-iron having supports, a horizontally disposed supporting member attached to the rear handle support of the said fiat-iron, a substantially vertically extending pivot projecting. upwardly from said member, and a switching plug engaging said pivot and adapted to turn about the same, said switch plug carrying contacts arranged to engage with said terminals in one position of the same.

8. The combination with an electrically heated flat-iron having terminal contacts lo cated at the rear of said fiat-iron, a stand having substantially vertically extending base and a horizontally disposed supporting plate attached to the said flat-iron, and a switch plug carrying contacts pivotally mounted upon said plate, and adapted to 'be turned so as to brlng its contacts into or porting member attache to'the rear handle means for preventing the removal of the said 1 out of engagement with the said terminal contacts."

9. The combination 'WAtll an electrically heated flat-iron having terminal contacts 10- cated at the rear of the said flat-iron, a stand having a substantially vertical extending base and a substantially horizontally disposed supporting plate therefor attached to the said flat-iron and a removable switch plug carrying contacts pivotally mounted upon the sald plate and adapted to be turned so as to brin its contact into or out of engagement with the saidterminal contacts,

10. The combination with an electrically heated flat-iron having terminal contacts located at the rear of the said fiat-iron, astand having a substantially vertical extending base and ahorizontally disposed supporting plate therefor attached to the said fiat-iron and a removable switch plug carrying contacts pivotally mounted upon the said plate and adapted to be turned so as to bring its contacts into or out of engagement with the said terminal contacts, and means for reventing the removal of the switch plug w en in certain positions.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of April, 1913.

FRANK E. S'HAILOR.

Witnesses:

WM. F. KENNEDY, B. M. LISSARD. 

